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What if Walt Disney was the producer of Looney Tunes/Walt Disney Animated Classics/The Grinch
The Grinch (also known as Dr. Seuss' The Grinch) is a 2018 American 3D computer-animated Christmas comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and animated by Disney-Mac Guff. Based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, it is the third screen adaptation of the story, following the 1966 animated featurette produced by Disney, and the live-action feature-length film from 2000. It marks Disney's second Dr. Seuss film adaptation, following The Lorax (2012). The film is directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, and written by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow. It stars the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, and Angela Lansbury, and is narrated by Pharrell Williams. The plot follows the Grinch as he plans to ruin Whoville's Christmas celebration by stealing all the town's decorations and gifts. The Grinch was released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 9, 2018, in RealD 3D and select IMAX theaters. It has grossed over $508 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing holiday film of all time as well as the highest grossing Dr. Seuss film adaptation of all time, and received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the animation but said the film added little to nothing new to the source material. It is the final adaptation released during the life of Seuss's widow Audrey Geisel, who served as executive producer of the film and died on December 19, 2018. Plot In the town of Whoville, human-like creatures called Whos are filled with excitement about celebrating Christmas. The only one who isn't amused is a cantankerous, green furred creature called The Grinch, who has a heart "two sizes too small" and lives in a cave on the top of Mount Crumpit just north of Whoville. The Grinch's only friend is his loyal pet dog Max and they both only visit Whoville when the Grinch needs to buy food and do bad things. Meanwhile, 6-year-old Cindy Lou Who notices that her mother Donna is overworked trying to take care of herself and her baby twin brothers, Buster and Bean. At first, she decides to send a letter to Santa Claus to help her mother, but after encountering the Grinch, who sarcastically says that she'll have to talk to Santa face-to-face about it, she then decides to go to the North Pole to talk to Santa, but when Donna tells her that it would take a month to get there and back home, her final decision is to try and trap Santa with the help of her friends. With Christmas approaching, all the Whoville festivities give the Grinch a flashback, recalling his disjointing childhood spent mostly alone and unwanted in an orphanage. The Grinch soon decides that he will steal Christmas from Whoville to assuage his distress. He acquires a fat reindeer whom he calls Fred to help him pull a sleigh that he stole from his neighbor Mr. Bricklebaum. After a test run, the Grinch discovers that Fred has a family. With a heavy heart, he lets Fred go home with them. On Christmas Eve, after making a Santa Claus disguise and dozens of gadgets to help him with his plan, the Grinch and Max, who pulls the sleigh in Fred's place, go down to Whoville to steal the decorations and presents. He soon encounters Cindy after falling into her trap. Her request to help lighten her mother's workload, and her kind advice about listening to the Whos' singing to alleviate his sadness, touches the Grinch's bitter heart. Nevertheless, the Grinch carries on with his mission. After stealing every Christmas present and decoration, the Grinch and Max head back to Mount Crumpit to dispose of them. The Whos wake up and are shocked to see that the presents and decorations are gone. At first, Cindy believes that she's to blame, because she 'trapped' Santa, but Donna tells her that Christmas is more than just about presents, and that Cindy's the best thing that ever happened to her. The Whos join together to sing. The Grinch and Max hear the singing, rendering the Grinch puzzled to see that they are celebrating Christmas despite his theft. After heeding Cindy's advice and immersing himself to their singing, his small heart triples in size, causing him to double over in breathless joy and wonder. The sleigh falls off Mount Crumpit, and the Grinch tries to save it. In the nick of time, Fred and his family come to his aid. After securing the sleigh, the Grinch and Max go to Whoville to return the stolen items. A guilt-ridden and remorseful Grinch admits his crimes to the Whos, and apologizes before returning to his cave, feeling ashamed for everything he has done. Feeling sorry for the Grinch, Cindy Lou comes to invite him to celebrate Christmas at her house, and he awkwardly attends. When seated down for dinner, he realizes and confesses that it wasn't really Christmas he despised, but being alone and his bitterness over being neglected. Before carving the roast beef, the Grinch offers a toast, "To kindness and love, the things we need most." Cast Production Development Casting Animation Music Soundtrack Score Hip hop Release Marketing Home media Reception Box office As of February 17, 2019, The Grinch has grossed $270.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $240.3 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $510.9 million, against a production budget of $75 million. In the United States and Canada, The Grinch was released alongside The Girl in the Spider's Web and Overlord, and was projected to gross $55–65 million from 4,140 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $18.7 million on its first day, including $2.2 million from Thursday night previews, more than the $1.7 million taken in by Disney's Sing in 2016. It went on to debut to $67.6 million, finishing first at the box office and topping the 2000 film's $55 million opening. In its second weekend the film made $38.2 million, finishing second behind newcomer Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. In its third weekend the film made $30.2 million (including $42 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), finishing fourth. In its fourth and fifth weekends, the film finished second behind DisneyToon Studios' Ralph Breaks the Internet, grossing $17.9 million and $15.0 million, respectively. It marked the first-ever time animated films were the top two films at the box office in back-to-back weekends. Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 57% based on 171 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Grinch gives the classic Seuss source material a brightly animated update that's solidly suitable for younger viewers despite not adding substantially to the story's legacy." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 83% positive score and a 75% "definite recommend". Alonso Duralde of TheWrap gave the film a positive review, calling it "full of warmth and wit" and writing, "Purists may balk about revisiting this tale, but The Grinch earns its laughter and its sentiment, both of which are plentiful. It's a full-throated Fah-Who-Foraze." Owen Gleiberman of Variety compared the film favorably to the 2000 live-action version, writing, "For anyone who grew up with Jim Carrey's version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Grinch won’t replace it, yet it's nimble and affectionate in a way that can hook today's children, and more than a few adults, by conjuring a feeling that comes close enough. By the end, your own heart will swell, though maybe just one or two sizes." In a rhyming review for Exclaim, Alex Hudson gave the film 7/10 and wrote, "Walt Disney's original Grinch short film is a holiday classic / The Jim Carrey film version wouldn't capture the magic, but it's great. / This new one is not as good as the first / But the message is sweet, so it isn't the worst." Glenn Kenny of The New York Times wrote, "Said dog, Max, is the most charming character in this version, directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney. The filmmakers keep the visuals merry and popping bright. Benedict Cumberbatch, voicing the Grinch, opts not to compete with Karloff or Carrey at all, which is smart, and speaks in an American accent, sounding rather like Bill Hader, which is confusing. A tepid hip-hop song about the Grinch plays over the end credits. It’s by Tyler, the Creator, who only a few years ago was considered one of the saltiest (to put it mildly) voices in music. Here, his contribution is as toothless as the rest of the movie." Molly Freeman of ScreenRant gave the film a 3 out of 5 stars, saying "The Grinch may not be a necessary holiday movie, but fans of Dr. Seuss's story, Disney animated films or holiday films in general will find plenty to like in this new animated retelling. Plus, with a variety of family-friendly jokes, The Grinch will no doubt entertain viewers young and old, though the 90-minute runtime does stretch thin in the third act of the movie. It's perhaps not worth seeing in IMAX, but The Grinch does provide some rich visuals that will also capture the eye of all moviegoers. The Grinch is holiday fun for the whole family, adapting a classic story with a new twist that makes for an altogether compelling moviegoing experience." Johnny Oleksinski of New York Post stated, "This “Grinch” is for snowflakes — and not the speck of ice the tiny town of Whoville is situated on. It's best for kids and adults who just can't handle the angry, diabolical monster of films past." Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media gave the film 3/5 and stated, "This adaptation is bright, colorful, and occasionally funny, but it doesn't come close to matching the effectiveness of the short-and-sweet original." Amy West of Empire gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing "Despite its story-telling ambition being two sizes too small (much like its hairy protagonist’s heart), The Grinch is impossibly cute, visually rich and boasts enough festive fun to satisfy young viewers." Accolades Trivia